diff --git a/react/src/components/VFolderTable.tsx b/react/src/components/VFolderTable.tsx
index e5e4d21bbb..6658a2ad41 100644
--- a/react/src/components/VFolderTable.tsx
+++ b/react/src/components/VFolderTable.tsx
@@ -192,6 +192,7 @@ const VFolderTable: React.FC<VFolderTableProps> = ({
     );
 
     const mergedVFolderPermissions = _.merge(
+      {}, // start with empty object
       allowedVFolderHostsByDomain,
       allowedVFolderHostsByGroup,
       allowedVFolderHostsByKeypairResourcePolicy,
diff --git a/react/src/hooks/backendai.tsx b/react/src/hooks/backendai.tsx
index 63eb9bf381..e502378e32 100644
--- a/react/src/hooks/backendai.tsx
+++ b/react/src/hooks/backendai.tsx
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ export const useResourceSlotsDetails = (resourceGroupName?: string) => {
   });
 
   return [
-    _.merge(deviceMetadata, resourceSlots),
+    _.merge({}, deviceMetadata, resourceSlots),
     {
       refresh: () => checkUpdate(),
     },
diff --git a/react/src/pages/SessionLauncherPage.tsx b/react/src/pages/SessionLauncherPage.tsx
index ede39a13a0..651873a141 100644
--- a/react/src/pages/SessionLauncherPage.tsx
+++ b/react/src/pages/SessionLauncherPage.tsx
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ const SessionLauncherPage = () => {
   }, []);
 
   const mergedInitialValues = useMemo(() => {
-    return _.merge(INITIAL_FORM_VALUES, formValuesFromQueryParams);
+    return _.merge({}, INITIAL_FORM_VALUES, formValuesFromQueryParams);
   }, [INITIAL_FORM_VALUES, formValuesFromQueryParams]);
 
   // ScrollTo top when step is changed